Driving lamp control arrangement



June 28, 1960 J. R. HoLLlNs 2,943,298

DRIVING LAMP coNTRoL ARRANGEMENT Filed may 22, 195e IL FIGJ DL Tl.

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FL IN V EN TOR.

HL. .i 12 Jesse R. HollinsE DRIVING LAMP CONTROL ARRANGEMENT Jesse R. Hollins, Brooklyn, N.Y., 'assignor to Signal-Stat Corporation, Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed May 22, 1958, Ser. No. 737,153

Claims. (Cl. 340-81) This invention relates to combined head lamp control and emergency signal switch and circuits for automotive vehicles and, more particularly, to novel switches and circuits -including a pilot lamp burning steadily in the parking lamps on position of'the 'control switch and flashing during emergency or flare operation of the switch.

Many drivers, due to inattention when driving on partly illuminated streets or roads, inadvertently drive with only their parking lamps lit, thus creating a hazardous condition for themselves, for other drivers, and for pedestrians. Also, drivers often turn on the parking lamps While driving in inclement weather in fog and at vdusk or dawn, and forget to turn rot these lamps when leaving the vehicle, due to the lights being dim and not readily noticeable, thus unnecessarily discharging the battery.

Patented June 28, 1960 Fig. 2 is a similar diagram in which a pullout switch is used as the control switch.

Referring to Fig. l, a combined headlamp and flare signal controlswitch 10 embodying the invention is illustrated as comprising a dielectric base 11, on which rotatably mounted is a circuit closer 15 having three arms 20, 25, and 30. Base 11 has ixedly mounted thereon three groups of contacts each cooperable with a different contact arm of circuit closer or switch operator 15.

Arm is cooperable with contacts 21, 22 and 23, arm is cooperable with contacts 26, 27 and 2S, and arm is cooperable with contacts 31, 32 and 33. The usual grounded vehicle battery 12, representing the vehicle source of electric potential, has its live terminal 13 connected to contacts 21 and 22. Contact 23 is connected by a conductor 14 to the grounded tail lamps TL.

, spee'tively connected to the high beam and low beam Accordingly, it would be desirable to have some means for indicating to a driver that he is driving with only his parking lamps on, whenvhe should be using his headlamps. v

In prior applications, I have shown and describeddvehicle lighting systems in whichall the parking and tail lamps may be flashed simultaneously as an emergency Warning signal or flare signal. In these arrangements, the switch controlling are ashing of all the lamps has a flashing pilot or indicator lamp.

In accordance with the present invention, l combine the functions of driving or marker lamp control and of are signal control in a single switch in such a manner that a pilot lamp common to both functions is steadily illuminated in the parking lamps on position, is flashed in the are signalpos'ition, is extinguished in the headlamps on position, yand is extinguished in the neutral or off position.

The novel combinedcontrol function switch has an off position and three on positions. In the first on position, the parking vand tail. lamps are. steadily illuminated, and so is vthe pilot lamp. In .thesecond Vonposition, the headlamps and tail lamps. aresteadily illuminated, with selection between. high beamand low beam being made by the usual foot operated selectorv switch, andfthe pilot lamp is extinguished. .11n the third on position,l the parking and. tail lamps'are'fashedas a are. fsignal and the pilot lamp is. alsQ.ll ashed...1-Theswitch may be of the o rotary type or may beof theo-pullout type. j I

By virtue of the pilot lamp being steadily energized only in the-parking lamps v'on position and extinguished in the headlamps on position, th ere i s no'pilot dash light interference with a drivers vision whendriving with the hdlamps on. V

For an understanding of the invention principles, reference is made to the following descriptions of typical embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. l is a schematic diagram illustrating the invention as incorporated in a vehicle lamp circuit controlled by a rotary switch; and

laments'of grounded head lamps HL. Contact 33 is connected to one terminal of flasher FL whose other terminal is connected'to battery 12.

Operator 1 5 is shown in the neutral or ofi position.v

When 'this operatorie turned counterclockwise, its first position is the parking lamps on position in which arms 20, 25 and 30 respectively engage contacts 2.1, 26 and 31. The parking lamps, tail lamps, dash lamps, and pilot lanip lIL are thus connected to battery- 12 and steadily illuminated. Pilot lamp IL being illuminated, the operator is continually made visually aware that he is driving only his parking lamps on.

The next counterclockwise position of operator 15 is the headlamps on position. In this position, headlamp selector switch FS is connected to battery 12 through contact 22, switch arms 20 and 30, and contact 32.

Pilot lamp I S is extinguished, because contacts 26 and 28 are not engaged by any switch arm. As pilot lamp IS is dark, it does not interfere with the drivers vision when he is driving with his headlamps on. The tail lamps TL remain energized through am 25, contact 27, and conductors 16, 14.

In the third position of operator 15, arms 20, 25 and 30 are engaged, respectively, with contacts 23, 28 and 33. Thus, operator 15 is connected to battery 12 through asher FL and arm 30. Parking lamps PL are flashed through arm 25 and contact 28, as is also pilot lamp IL. Tail lamps TL are llashed through arm 20 and Contact 23. This is the emergency warning or flare signal position. It will be noted that a flare signal is also provided by turning operator 15 clockwise one position from the illustrated neutral position.

Fig. 2 illustrates the invention as incorporated in a push-pull type of control switch comprising a base 11 on which is slidably mounted a conductive circuit closer 115 carrying contacts 120, 125, and 130. Slide contact is selectively co'operable with base contacts 121,122 and 123, slide .contact is selectively cooperable with base contacts 126, 127 and 128, and slide contact 130 is selectively cooperable with base contacts 131, 132 and 133.

Contacts 121, 122 are connnected to live terminal 13 of grounded vehicle battery 12, and contact 123 is connected to asher FL which is connected to battery terminal 13. Contacts 126, 127, 128 are connected to dash lamps DL and tail lamps TL. Contacts 131 and 3 133 are connected to parking'lamps PL and pilot or indicator lamp IL. Contact 132 is connected to foot operated switch FS controlling selection of the high or low beams of headlamps HL.

Switch 1'0 is shown in the neutral position;` When knob 135 is pulled to the first on position, slide contact 120 connects slide 1415 to battery 12, dash lamps DL and tail lamps TL are 'steadily illuminated through contacts 125 and 126, and parking lamps PL and pilot lamp IL are steadily illuminated through contacts 130 and 131.

In the next pull position, slide-115 is again connected to battery through contacts 120 and 122. The dash and tail lamps are steadily illuminated through contacts 125 and 127, and switch FS is connected to battery 12 through contacts 130 and 132. Tail lamps TL'and pilot lamps IL are extinguished as neither contact 131 nor contact 133 is`connected to battery 12.r

The third pull position is the tiare" position. Contact 120 engages contact 123 thus connecting slideV 115 to battery v12 through `flasher "FL Dash lamps DL and tail lamps TL are iiashed through contacts 125 and 128, and parking lamps PL and pilot lamp IL are iiashed through contacts 130 and 133. Headlamps HL are extinguished as switch FS is disconnected from slide115.

The described system thus provides a vehicle lamp arrangement wherein a pilot lamp is steadily lit whenever the parking lamps are on, is extinguished when the head lamps are on, and is flashed in the dare position of the combined head lamp'control and tiara signalling switch.

While specific embodiments ofthe invention have vvbeen shown and described in detail to lillustrate the application of the invention principles, vit will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise `without departing from such principles. v v

What is claimed is:

l. A driving lamp control arrangement for an automotive vehicle having a battery, head lamps, and .park-A ing lamps, said control arrangement comprising, in combination, a control switch having lirst andV second .input contacts connnected to said battery and a third input contact, a iirst output contact connected to said parking lamps, a second output contact connected to said head lamps, a third output contact connected to said parking lamps, and a movable circuit closer having a neutral position, a tirst position interconnecting said first contacts, a second position interconnecting 'said second contacts, and a third position interconnecting said third contacts; a flasher connected between said battery and said third input contact; and a pilot lamp connnected to said first and third output contacts in parallel with said parking lamps; whereby, in said first position said parking lamps and pilot lamp are steadilyilluminated and said head lamps are extinguished, in said second position said head lamps are steadily `illuminated vand said parking and pilot lamps are extinguished, and in said third position said parking lamps and pilot lamps are flashed and said head lamps are extinguished. l

2. A driving lampcontrol arrangement as claimed in claim l in which said circuit closer is rotatably mounted on a base carrying 'said contacts.

3. A driving lamp control arrangement as claimed in claim l in which said circuit closer is longitudinally s lidable relative to a base carrying said contacts.

4. A driving lamp control arrangement for an automotive vehicle having 'a battery, head' lamps, parking lamps, and tail lamps, said control arrangement cornpri'sing, in combination a control switch having iirst and second input contacts connected to said battery and a third input contact, a iirst output contact connnected to said parking lamps, a second output contact connected to said head lamps, a third output contact connected to said parkinglarnps, first, Second, and third contacts connected to saidA tail lamps, and a movable circuit closer having a neutral position, a first position interconnecting said tirst contacts, a second position interf connecting said second contacts, and A.a third position interconnecting said third contacts; a flasher connected between said battery and said third input contact; and a pilot lamp connected to said first and third output contacts in parallel with 'saidparking lamps; whereby, in said iirst position said parking lamps, tail lamps and pilot lamp are steadily illuminated and said head lamps are extinguished, in said second positionsaid head lamps -V a control s witch including a base having mounted thereon rst, second and third input contacts and tirst, second and third output contacts, and a circuit closer movably mounted on said base and having a neutral position, a first position interconnecting said first contacts, a second position interconnecting said second contacts, and a third position interconnecting said third contacts; a tiasher connected to said third input contact; and a pilot lamp connected to said tirst and third output contacts; whereby said pilot lamp is connected to said sher in said `third position. Y 3 y 6. A combined head lar'np control and ilareA signalling unit for automotive vehicles claimed in claim 5 in which said circuit closer is rotatably mounted on said base.

7. A combined head lamp controlA and nare signalling unit for automotive vehicles as `claimed in claim 5 in which said circuit close-r is longitudinally slidable relative to said base.

8. VA combined head lamp control andtlare signalling unit for automotive vehicles comprising, in combination, a control switch including a base having mounted thereon first, second and third input contacts, first, second and third output contacts, and tir'st, second and third tail lamp contacts, and a circuit closer movably mounted on said base and having a neutral position, Ia first position interconnecting said =lirst contacts, a second position interconnecting said second contacts, and a third position interconnecting said third contacts; a flasher connected to said third input contact; and a pilot lamp` connected to said first `and third output contacts; whereby said pilot lamp is connected to said flasher 'in 'said third position.

' 9. A combined head lamp control and ilaremsignalling unit for automotive vehicles as claimed in claim 8 in 'which said circuit closer is rotatably mounted on said base. a

l0. A combined head lamp control and aresignalling unit for automotive vehicles as claimedl in claim 8 inV which said circuit closer' is longitudinally slidable relative to said base.

AReferences Cited in the tile of this patent "UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,787,779 Hollins Apr. 2, i957 

